


Heart of Glass, Mind of Stone

by dawningofdrag



Category: How to Get Away with Murder, RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst, College AU, F/F, Gun Violence, Jaida is Professor Keating bc of course she is, Law School, Lawyers, Lesbian AU, Mentions of Blood, Minor Character Death, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24713653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawningofdrag/pseuds/dawningofdrag
Summary: When Crystal envisioned her life as a law student, she daydreamed of topping her classes and the inevitable sleepless nights that it would come with. What she didn’t expect was to be so tied up to a high-profile murder case that it was next to impossible to get herself out of it.
Relationships: Crystal Methyd/Nicky Doll, Gigi Goode/Jackie Cox, Jackie Cox/Gigi Goode, Nicky Doll/Crystal Methyd
Comments: 15
Kudos: 28





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> check the tw in the tags before proceeding!
> 
> welcome to my first multichap! ive been planning this for almost a month now, so glad that it's finally out here! thank you so much to the amazing and talented @artificialmac/@imalwaysaslutfordrag for beta-ing, ilyssssm! 
> 
> enjoy some lawyer gays and murder, folks

_There was a dead body lying on the floor and nobody. dared. to move._

_“We killed her,” Crystal spoke, voice so hoarse from the screaming just moments ago that her throat ached._

_Her eyes were blown wide- just like everyone else’s -as she stared at the corpse lying lifeless on the dark herringbone floorboards. The bright fluorescent light of the lamp posts that stood outside the property peeked through the sheer curtains of the living room they stood in, almost perfectly framing the bleak expression of the cadaver resting in the middle of the circle the Latina and the rest of the group had created._

_A breathy scream broke the silence and Crystal traced the sound back to Gigi, who dropped to the floor in sheer terror. Her green eyes barely broke contact with the body, short erratic breaths escaping her bare pink lips through the pale hand that covered it. Crystal instinctively ran over to where the blonde now sat on the floor, wrapping her arms around her lean frame in an attempt to calm her down._

_“She’s dead,” Gigi gasped out, bloodshot eyes still refusing to tear away from the body laid out in front of her. The Latina grasped the blonde’s hand, squeezing it to offer some sense of comfort despite the horrifying circumstances._

_The room fell silent, a thick, heavy air resting on their shoulders as they all collectively just stood there, allowing their actions and its repercussions to settle into their conscience._

_“We’re murderers,” Gigi whispered through her hiccups, and all Crystal could do was nod. They killed her. They committed murder, and all of a sudden it felt like it was much, much harder to breathe._

  
  


**\- three months before -**

  
  


Crystal shot the rest of her now lukewarm coffee down her throat in a quick motion, slamming the warm thermos down on her incredibly small desk with a loud thud. She exhaled, setting her bag on the floor next to her chair before inserting herself in it. Her hands grazed the chipped wood that made up her armrests, a soft smile appearing on her painted lips. 

First day of law school, _totally_ not the scariest thing in the whole world. Not like she dreamt of this day since she was a little girl, you know?

Crystal could now proudly declare to the world (and her extremely judgemental tia’s and tio’s) that she was studying law at the best law school in the country, sitting in a lecture hall ready to attend a class spearheaded by the sole individual who made her realize she wanted to pursue a law career in the first place. How she wasn’t fully freaking out right now was just as much of a mystery to her as it was to everyone else. 

She set her laptop on the desk attached to her assigned chair, flipping through the thin folder of her academic roster with curious eyes. She quickly glanced over her classes, the professors teaching them, taking into account the buildings they were held in and when they started. 

The sound of a cough diverted the Latina’s attention, bright green eyes meeting hers. 

The woman was clad in an olive green pantsuit and a plain black blouse that seemed to fit her like a glove. It seemed perfectly tailored, almost as if the suit was custom-made. Her short blonde hair was styled to be pin straight, meticulously tucked behind one ear to show off her strong jawline. Her green eyes were narrowed, staring into the Latina’s eyes as if she was guilty of a crime she didn’t commit.

Crystal almost laughed at how hard the woman tried her best to look intimidating _._

“Can I help you?” She questioned in a sing-song tone, a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in confusion. The blonde rolled her eyes.

Crystal narrowed her own. Okay, Elle Woods.

“You’re sitting in my seat.” The woman tapped the sole of her black Louboutin on the tiled floor repeatedly, impatiently waiting for a response.

 _“_ _Pretty_ sure I sit here, Ms. Woods.” 

“How original.” The blonde scoffed, pulling out a digital image of the assigned seating from her phone to show the Latina who still sat comfortably in her seat, showing no willingness to move whatsoever. 

“I sit in the sixth chair from the right.” She stated matter-of-factly. Crystal didn’t even bother hiding her amusement. 

She chuckled, turning her body to point at the vacant seat next to her. “I sit in the fifth seat from the right.” Crystal grinned a mischievous smile. “You’re one off, Woods.”

She watched as the blonde woman’s cheeks flared up in embarrassment, quickly taking a seat next to her while keeping her head hung low.

“You’re a law student and you can’t even like, count correctly?” The brunette mocked the woman next to her, nudging her side softly to lighten the mood.

“I’m smart in other ways.” The blonde rolled her eyes once more, but her cold facade faded away just moments after doing so, and a grin started to creep up on the edges of her glossed lips.

“Georgina Goode, Columbia.” She greeted Crystal’s lighthearted gaze with an extension of her arm, hand out for her to shake. “Guess I should master the art of counting before I try to act like I know my shit.” 

“Well, you learn new things everyday.” The brunette grinned. Of _course_ she was a Georgina. She reeked of water polo lessons and summers in a beach house in Miami. It further supported Crystal’s initial hypothesis that Ms. Goode, she was definitely an Elle Woods type. You know, the privileged but woke white kid who believed they deserved a medal for recognizing their privilege. She met a couple of them back in pre-law, and they were all so _incredibly_ annoying. 

Gigi seemed slightly less annoying though, so she’ll reserve the need to have an opinion until she actually got to know her.

“Just call me Gigi, though.”

Crystal nodded at the information, extending her arm out to receive the open hand. 

“Crystal Harness, Yale.”

Their hands collided, a firm couple of shakes and soft smiles before they both pulled away, shifting away from each other to set up their table _(seriously though, why were they so small? She wasn't paying forty grand a semester for her lecture desk to support the weight of half her laptop)._

“So, what brings you here?” Crystal couldn’t help but question, starting a conversation between the two and sparking the interest of the woman next to her. It never hurt to make friends in law school. 

“I mean, if you were already in Columbia. Don't they like, top the bars all the time?”

“Oh, easy.” Gigi scoffed at the question as if her answer was so painfully obvious, briefly pointing to the professor’s desk situated just a couple of rows in front of them. “Her.”

I mean, that reason was fair enough. Crystal would be lying if she told you she didn’t also take the attorney into mind when choosing a law school. If she _really_ had to tell the truth, then yes, Attorney Jaida Essence Hall’s teaching position was the sole reason she chose Middleton for law. 

Could you blame her though? She was Black, gay, female, and an absolute fucking _legend_. Harvard Law Valedictorian, record-breaking LSAT score, and built her whole reputation from the ground up. She was a whole ass celebrity in Crystal’s eyes, and hearing that Jaida had a teaching position in Middleton was all the information she needed to choose the university.

“I get it.” Crystal replied after a brief moment, finally relaxing against the back of her chair’s deflated cushions. “I kind of wanna be her.”“You and every other woman in this class, Crystal.” The blonde mumbled, smirking at her snide remark. “You’re not special.”

Well, she wasn’t _wrong._

The booming sound of high heels clicking against the tiled floor almost startled Crystal, immediately turning her attention towards the woman who just entered the room. 

“Good morning class, my name is Jaida Essence Hall-”

She set her black Hermes bag on top of the wooden professor’s table with a loud thud, flipping her long dark hair past her shoulder so effortlessly that she had Crystal, Gigi, and the rest of the class absolutely mesmerized. 

Professor Hall turned to face the class in one swift motion, sporting a welcoming grin before continuing her entrancing introduction.

“- and welcome to Criminal Law 100.”

Crystal swore under her breath, taking everything in. The reason she wanted to pursue law was standing twelve feet away from her, leaning against the table with her arms crossed around her chest.

The Latina couldn’t even force herself to focus on the rest of her professor's probably really inspiring opening monologue, mind still busy trying to wrap about the idea of breathing the same air as Jaida Essence Hall. Was she overreacting? Probably. Did she care? Absolutely the fuck not. Let her have this. 

“If you have been keeping yourselves updated on local news, I’m certain that you have crossed the ongoing case regarding the murder of Brianna Heller.” 

That sentence pulled Crystal out of the trance she found herself in, the wording of her statement incorrect in her honest opinion. You didn’t need to watch the local news to know about it. If you lived in Philadelphia for a solid _five minutes_ you’d know about the case of Brianna Heller. She was a Middleton undergrad who went missing for a whole month before her body was found two days ago in the basement of an abandoned warehouse, a spot frequented by undergrads looking for their dose of illegal thrill. Each and every aspect of the case felt like it was pulled right out of a murder mystery book, down to the alleged suspects and their relationships with each other. The press was having a field day milking the case dry for any information they could publish. 

Jaida went back and forth across the platform, one hand on her hip as she continued. “Just this morning, I was asked to represent one of the main suspects, Jamie McKenna.”

The woman clicked on her remote, displaying a photo of the woman on the projector screen. 

I mean if you were gonna ask Crystal, she thought Jamie did it. After quickly scanning the case a couple of nights ago when she had absolutely nothing better to do, she had a gut feeling the blonde committed the murder. They both had rather large online followings due to their theater backgrounds, but Brianna had much bigger numbers in comparison to Jamie, even though in Crystal’s opinion, Jamie was a _much_ better singer.

There was a very clear motive and intent. All they needed was to find the murder weapon and the case was closed. 

The class erupted in loud whispers once the photo displayed itself on screen, Gigi visibly unfazed next to her. Everyone has had a conversation about the case with friends, family, strangers. Talking about it felt redundant and unnecessary, and if you were going to ask Crystal, the conversation was getting really boring. 

Jaida paused for a brief moment, allowing the murmurs to die on their own before speaking further. “And although both my associates are very capable individuals, the publicity surrounding the case is unbearable, which means I cannot make one single mistake.” 

Crystal narrowed her eyes, confused as to the relevancy of her announcement until it hit her. 

Oh my _fucking_ God.

Professor Hall was gonna need a team.

“Which means I’m gonna need a team.” 

Holy shit.

“For the next week, I will be paying close attention to how you all work during my lectures. My associates will be in attendance, watching from the sidelines, and observing each and every one of you. We need the best of the best so that those chosen will be more of an asset rather than a burden.” 

Crystal’s eyes were blown wide at Jaida’s words, her head still spinning as she tried to grasp how big of a deal this actually was. Her eyes met Gigi’s, who was equally as taken back as the Latina, jaw slacked open in shock. 

“You will be meeting my associates tomorrow, but make a lasting first impression on me and you might find yourself in the list of people I consider. Am I clear?”

Crystal nodded absent-mindedly, her mind sprinting a million miles a minute as she automatically started to come up with ways to stand out of a class of sixty people.

“Alright, now that that’s all cleared up,” Jaida turned on her heel to fiddle with her laptop, displaying the assigned reading on screen before turning to face the class once more. 

“Does anyone want to summarize the case of _Commonwealth v. Polachek_ for me?”

Crystal had never raised her hand quicker in her entire life. It was game on, I guess. 

_-_

Crystal fumbled to pull out the keys of her front door from the pocket of her cross-body bag, feeling the contents with her fingers until she felt the metal touch her skin. She walked past her neighbor, flashing a nervous smile the woman’s way before she stopped just in front of her apartment. 

“Weren’t you in Professor Hall’s class today?” 

Crystal’s head whipped around to face the woman who stood a couple of feet away from where she stood, leaning against the doorway of the apartment just next to hers. 

The Latina’s eyes met the other girl’s equally dark ones, wavy dark hair framing the woman’s face perfectly. She was clad in a tight-fitting black turtleneck tucked into a high waist black pant, dark plaid blazer and gold jewelry breaking the monochromatic fabrics and causing her jet-black hair to stand out against the blazer’s tweed fabric. 

“Yeah. ” Crystal stumbled over her words, running her free hand through her thick curls. How was every single woman in her Criminal Law class so fucking pretty? “Middleton Law too?”

“Mhm.” Her neighbor smiled, taking a couple of steps forward to close the rather large distance between them both. 

She reached out her hand. “Jackie Cox. Harvard Medicine.” 

Crystal has never shaken so many hands in such a small period of time. The second they all entered law school everyone became so pathetically professional that it almost humored her. 

“Crystal! Yale.” She grinned, shaking her hand before catching onto the words that filled Jackie’s introduction. 

“Wait, medicine?” Crystal questioned, pulling her arm back and tucking it into her jean pocket. 

“Yeah.” Jackie shrugged the question off with a rather confused tone, acting as if her circumstances were a normal occurrence. “Medicine got really boring, so did Harvard, so I thought I’d give law a shot.”

The Latina didn’t know how to respond. “Woah that’s uh, really cool.” 

Crystal wanted to wince at herself for sounding like a fucking four-year-old. She stepped back, shifted her body away, and lifted her key to the lock. Her mind ran in circles, deciding whether or not to invite Jackie to the dinner she and her roommate planned to have later that night. Making friends in law school had many more benefits than it had consequences, and having an incredibly smart medical student-turned-law student on your side sounded like an incredible asset to have in future study groups. Plus, Jackie just seemed really fucking cool. 

“Well, uh, my roommate Heidi is coming tonight and we were planning to get to know each other over dinner at 8 o’clock.” The Latina smiled, meeting Jackie’s eyes once more. “Do you maybe wanna join?” 

As if on cue, Crystal’s front door burst open to reveal her roommate, who greeted her and Jackie’s startled dispositions with a toothy grin and bare arms spread wide, ready to envelop the Latina in a warm hug. 

“Oh my god, Crystal it’s so nice to finally meet you!” Heidi ran a couple of steps to tackle the smaller woman into a tight hug, rocking from side to side as if they were long lost sisters who had finally been reunited. “I can’t believe we’re here!”

A laugh escaped from deep in Crystal’s chest after her new roommate knocked the wind out of her with an overexcited hug. She paused for a quick moment, still taken back by the sudden action, before wrapping her arms around the shorter woman. “Hi!” 

“It’s so nice to finally meet you!” Crystal pulled back a couple of inches, reciprocating the infectious energy her new roommate put out for her to receive.

Crystal had never met Heidi before, they’ve only been exchanging a handful of texts and semi-professional emails just to get their living situation all sorted out before they moved in. The brunette never would have thought that the woman behind the meticulously worded emails she was receiving over the week was an extrovert who would rather give out hugs over a professional handshake. The duality of man, I guess. 

She and Heidi exchange introductions, Jackie joining in on the conversation after a while as they talk about their dinner plans together. 

“That sounds great!” Jackie grinned at the invitation, beamed almost, unlocking her door with a twist of a key, pushing it open with force. “I’ll bring some baklava for dessert.”

“I have never heard of baklava! Is it like a Middle Eastern thing or sum’n?” Heidi questioned, her fingernails mindlessly picking on the lint of her wool sweater. 

Jackie nodded, a soft laugh coming out of her mouth as she did so. “Yes it is, you hit the nail on the head.”

“Well, it sounds delightful.” The Black woman smiled, arm wrapped around Crystal’s waist like they were all of a sudden the bestest of friends. She honestly didn’t mind having someone like Heidi as a roommate, the loving and positive energy just radiating off of her warm skin was a great juxtaposition from the cold and professional people she was probably going to encounter throughout her law student experience. 

They bid their goodbye’s, setting up their final dinner plans before they entered their respective apartments, Heidi already chatting up a storm as they turned to leave. 

Crystal waved as Jackie disappeared into her apartment, a small grin resting on her painted lips as she turned to swing her front door open. “See ya, Doc.”

-

_“Gigi, if you fucking scream one more time I swear to god-” Jackie spoke through gritted teeth, knuckles turning white at how tight she gripped the metal bat in her hand._

_Her dark eyes scanned the room, pausing at the surrounding windows to check if anyone was peeking through them. Jackie dropped the bat with caution, afraid that the collision of metal on wood would startle anyone that was currently inside the house. She crouched down to inspect the lifeless corpse that separated her from the rest of the group, delicately grazing the pale skin and dead blue eyes with her trembling fingers. She closed the body’s eyes before meeting Crystal’s brown, much more alive ones._

_“We have to get rid of the body.”_

_“Are you fucking insane?” Crystal scoffed, guiding a very distraught Gigi to sit against the armrest of a lounge chair not far by. She made sure the blonde was much calmer than she was just moments ago before shifting her gaze to the Persian across the room._

_“You want us to go out on a Friday night? after_ **_finals_ ** _week?” The brunette spat out, her uncontrollable fear turning itself into annoyance and frustration at the sound of her friend’s suggestion._

_“Are you dumb?” Jackie hissed, the heels of her boots clicking against the wood as she looked around for a way to clean up the blood slowly pooling around the corpse’s body. “Our DNA is on her skin, Crystal. Under her nails, on her clothes, on the fucking gun.”_

_“We go to an incinerator and burn the body.” Jackie reasoned, pulling a handkerchief from her bag and getting on her knees as she soaked up the blood from the floor like it was nothing serious. “We’ll classify the remains as animal carcass.”_

_Crystal stood in place, jaw slacked open in awe of Jackie’s lack of disgust towards the corpse as she dragged the previously clean fabric across the wooden floorboards. “Get rid of any evidence. We can say she ran away. They’ll believe it, her case was a clear loss anyway.”_

_The Latina groaned in defeat, pulling a handkerchief from her winter coat as she crouched down to join Jackie in cleaning up the mess they had made together. “Fuck you, Doc.”_

_“Can’t help that I know my shit, Mistress.”_


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didn't think i'd actually be able to add another chapter to this, considering how terrified i am with the commitment that came with a multichap fic but here we are!! thank u as always to @artificialmac for being an amazing beta/hypeman, ilu!!
> 
> feel free to hmu on my tumblr acc @dawningofdrag : D
> 
> tw for this chapter: murder mention, death mention, mentions of violence

_ Waiting for Heidi to pick up her phone was probably the longest minute Crystal’s ever had to endure in her whole 22 years of life. _

_ The recurring ringing that filled the heavy silence of the living room flooded her ear, bare lip retreating between her pearly white teeth as she impatiently waited for Heidi to pick up the phone. She heard by the back of her head the quiet murmurs of Jackie trying to console Gigi, who was still very much shaken up by what had just happened mere moments before. _

_ The soles of her sneakers squeaked across the hardwood floor, unable to control her need to pace back and forth as the Latina dreadfully waited for her roommate to pick up. She focused on calming down her staggered breaths while waiting for Heidi to answer, trying her very best to keep her composure and not add to Jackie’s already heavy load of keeping Gigi from having a full-on breakdown. _

_ Her phone rang six times. Still no answer. _

_ Crystal was about to give up and end the call, a slow but evident panic rising in her lungs when her mind started to settle in on the fact that their only way out of this mess they had caught themselves in wasn’t answering her own fucking phone. _

_ She tore the device away from her ear in frustration, thumb barely grazing the end call button before Heidi finally picked up. _

_ “Hello?” _

_ “Heidi! Oh my god-” _

_ “Why you sound so scared, Crystal? Do y’all need saving or some shit?” _

**_-eleven weeks before-_ **

Crystal took a deep breath in before shoving the metal front gates of Professor Hall’s luxurious estate open. Her pink stiletto heels collided with the wooden deck of the spacious front porch, loud clicking of each step announcing her presence to whoever was inside before she even got to ring the doorbell.

To say that Professor Hall’s house was beautiful was a complete understatement. It was a striking green modern victorian mansion that stood out against the 50 shades of beige that colored the houses of her neighbors. It stuck out like a sore thumb, on a complete league of its own, and the second Crystal had caught sight of it the first time she ever visited, she couldn’t imagine Jaida’s house to be any less extra. 

She clutched the yellow folder in her hand, patiently waiting for Widow to greet her by the front door. Crystal had visited the estate a couple of times the past week, submitting reflective essays and outlines her professor demanded they make. She’d leave the files by Widow’s desk just outside of Jaida’s main office, engage in a couple of minutes of enjoyable small talk, before leaving to catch a bus to her next class. 

“Hi honey!” Widow greeted her with a grin that was  _ way  _ too fake for eight in the morning, stepping to the side to let the brunette into the estate.

Widow was one of Jaida’s two associates and probably one of the nicest people Crystal’s ever met in her whole life. An absolute badass, of course she was, but always offered a cup of coffee and a light conversation no matter how many times Crystal would properly decline. She’d praise you for submitting work early, compliment your outfit no matter how outlandish it was, and call you some sweet endearment that would teleport you back to the comfort of your own home. It was a wonderful juxtaposition from Jaida’s rather distant disposition. 

She tried her best to mirror the positive energy back, but she was running on three hours of sleep and half a cup of coffee she stole from Heidi’s breakfast meal a couple of hours ago. It was a solid attempt though, and she hoped that Widow didn’t mind that she probably looked like a fucking mess. Law school really does change you, she guessed. 

She set down her paper with a scowl, eyes glancing at the already mountainous pile of submitted case studies on the Black woman’s desk. She strived to submit her paper much earlier than the imposed deadline in an attempt to catch Jaida’s attention, but apparently everyone else in her class had the same fucking idea. So much for trying to stand out.

“You look tired hun, you alright?” Widow pressed a delicate hand on Crystal’s back, thumb grazing the fabric of her floral blouse to comfort the Latina.

Crystal sat on the leather chair situated just next to Widow’s desk with a heavy sigh, a pout plastered on her glossed lips as her eyes gazed at the stack of case studies on Widow’s table.

“Yeah! Just tired is all.” She huffed, a hand moving to massage her temple as she pulled her phone out of her bag.

“You want some coffee?”

“Please?”

“I’ll be back in a bit.” 

She called out her thank you before Widow disappeared into the kitchen, leaning back against the comfortable leather chair. Her hands trailed up to her temples, the sudden headache that occupied her brain keeping her from standing up and heading to campus to pass the rest of her papers due that same day. 

The door to Professor Hall’s office opened with an abrupt force, the click of the doorknob pulling Crystal’s focus away from her throbbing headache. Nicky stepped out of the frosted glass door, sharing a couple of words with Jaida before leaving the room entirely. The blonde rolled her eyes the second she was out of her boss’ view, walking over to her desk just across Widow’s with an exasperated sigh.

Nicky wasn’t really one to talk, based on Crystal’s experience with her. She never really spoke a word whenever she attended Jaida’s lectures, keeping to herself as she quietly observed each and every student with those bright blue eyes that would mesmerize you whenever she narrowed them in focus. 

Crystal would be a lying ass lesbian if she said that she didn’t find Nicky hot. Pretty sure every woman in her Criminal Law class that was in any way shape or form gay found her interesting, eager to learn more about what the woman was hiding behind the light eyes. She was this cunning French mystery that the Latina would be more than willing to understand.

“What are you doing here, Harness?” Nicky spat out, bare fingernails grazing the messy stack of papers discarded around her equally as messy desk. A soft groan fell from her red lips, talking to herself for just a brief moment before she pulled out the folder she seemed to be looking for. 

They had never talked before, her and Nicky. So to hear the older woman address her by her last name sparked her already heightened curiosity.

“How do you know my name?” Crystal questioned, head propped up on the palm of her hand with her elbow resting comfortably on the leather armrest. A sly smirk painted her glossy lips, a sudden burst of confidence filling her senses. Frenchie liked her, how interesting.

The blonde scoffed, turning to face the Latina and leaning against the edge of her wooden desk. Her tan hands crossed against her chest, covering the satin top wrapped taut around her slender physique. “Oh come on, with a pretty face like that?” 

Nicky narrowed her eyes, slowly dropping her gaze down Crystal’s figure like she was her next meal. She met back up with Crystal’s gaze after a short while, bottom lip painted red in between her teeth to keep herself from flashing a mischievous grin. 

“How could I not know?”

“Nicky, step away from the student.” 

The trance that Nicky had pulled Crystal in with her magnetic way of words vanished almost immediately after Widow cut the conversation short. The Black woman rolled her eyes, large mug of coffee in hand, leaning against the grand doorway that separated the kitchen and the main office. 

Nicky raised her hands up in surrender, watching Widow with a frustrated glare as she walked towards the brunette with a soft smile. Crystal took the cup gratefully, sparing a quick ‘thank you’ before taking a long sip of the piping hot beverage she held with both her hands. It was cold out and she really needed the warmth. 

“What? Can’t a woman compliment another woman?” The blonde retorted, shaking her head before turning to organize the disorderly mess of folders and papers that sat in a massive pile on top of her table. She played with the contents of the folder she held just moments before, scanning the words printed out on the thick stack of paper sandwiched in between the document case before moving the papers into a brown envelope.

“Not with that grin you aren’t.” Widow chuckled. “Don’t you have shit to do, Nicks?”

Nicky responded with a scowl, pulling her wool coal from her office chair with force. 

“Whatever.” She walked past the office doorway with a confident strut, high stiletto heels ticking against the herringbone floors and sparing one last glance at Crystal, flashing a wink her way along with a quick wave of her hand. “I’ll see you in class, Miss Harness-”

“Nicky go! Oh my god-” 

Crystal waved back. Yes, she was blushing like an actual fucking child. Shut up.

**-**

“Professor, when will you be releasing the list of interns for the Heller case?”

Crystal tried. She  _ really _ tried to stop the blonde from asking. She wanted nothing more than to sink into the dirty cushions of her lecture chair and just disappear. 

She was curious too, she wasn’t going to lie. It’s been two weeks since the announcement and the fact that no list had been released yet, one week after she said it would, chipped away at her already lengthy patience. 

However, she was terrified of bringing the concern up because she had never spoken to Jaida, their only interactions being answering questions in class. Crystal didn’t want her first impression on her actual idol to be an impatient entitled little bitch. No ma’am. 

Professor Hall raised an eyebrow, the sound of her footsteps against the carpeted steps echoing across the hall as she made her way down to her desk. She met the blonde’s eyes for a brief moment, turning to reach for a thin folder hidden deep inside her bag. 

“I was waiting for someone to bring it up.” Jaida scoffed, dismissing Gigi with a wave of her hand. The blonde sat back in her seat in one quick motion, manicured fingers immediately gravitating towards the idea of picking at the skin that surrounded her nails. The normal tremor of her porcelain hands amplified the second she sat back down, and just like that Crystal was nervous too.

“Class is dismissed, but the following four please stay after class.”

The collective rumble of hushed whispers and laptops shifting into their respective bags filled Crystal’s ears, but the sound was just white noise. She froze in her seat, hands clenching the edges of her worn wooden desk as she patiently waited for Jaida to continue the announcement she had been waiting for in so long. 

“Georgina Goode, Heidi Cheek, Jaqueline Cox, and Crystal Harness.” 

A gust of wind blew into into the lecture hall the second it’s exit doors were opened, classmates already filing out of the room immediately after Jaida had finished announcing the contents of her rather short intern list. Crystal expected around eight people to be accepted for the job, considering how the case was so high-profile that having a large group of individuals at your disposal would be of great benefit. Apparently, she thought wrong. Jaida wasn’t one for crowds.

Also, holy shit. Jaida just called out her name. 

Her eyes were blown wide once the statement had settled in her head, absolutely dumbfounded by the information that it took her much longer than usual to pack up her pile of things stacked on top of her tiny wooden desk. 

She walked down the carpeted steps in shock, dragging the thick wedge of her heels against the carpet as she trailed just behind Gigi who hid her nerves extremely well, the blonde strutting down the hall with a confident sway of her hips. Crystal probably looked like an absolute dumbass next to her, but she didn’t bother to do something about it. Her lifelong idol had just singled her out of her large class of sixty, offering her the opportunity to work alongside her as an intern. Was this real? This could not be real. Why wasn’t she freaking out?

“Welcome to the Essence four.” Jaida grinned, dark eyes meeting Crystal’s in a genuine gaze. She felt like she was going to pass out.

The Latina found herself standing next to Jackie, a smug grin painted on her full lips as she graciously thanked the Black woman for the opportunity to work with her. Crystal should be doing the same thing, she knew that, but her head was so far up in the sky that she could barely speak a coherent string of words. 

Jaida packed her silver laptop into her leather bag, busying herself with the stack of papers left by the edge of her desk. 

“The dean has a cocktail party later tonight and I expect the four of you to come with me and the rest of my team. Mingle, get your name out there. The foundation of a good lawyer is having powerful connections and with a case like this? You’re gonna need it.”

Jaida spoke as she zipped up her bag with force, slinging the bag over her exposed shoulder before flashing a polite smile. She handed each of them her calling card, before walking past the little group they had created by her wooden desk.    


“I’ll see you all tonight, alright? Semi-formal attire ladies!”

**-**

Crystal deciding to wear the prettiest dress in her closet was probably the biggest mistake she committed that day. The party fucking  _ sucked. _

Sure, there was plenty of champagne to go around, servers handing glasses full of the liquor like the dean had an unlimited supply hidden in some secret basement. There were trays upon trays full of hors d'oeuvres that were being paraded around the grand function hall, and live jazz music to accompany the unapologetically pretentious conversations being had within the ornate wood and brick walls. But no matter how gratifying it felt to finally break into this elite community Crystal had been dreaming of being a part of for so long, nothing has ever made her feel this out of place. It bothered her so much that she thought about leaving the party hours earlier than she had originally intended to.

The worst part about it was that she was the  _ only  _ one in their little group of new kids that didn’t seem to fit in. Each of them had somehow found a group of individuals they could stick with for the rest of the night, filling their hours with conversations Crystal would never understand nor care for. The fact that she didn’t fit into this group she deemed the nobility settled into her conscience, and it was not at all a good feeling. 

Crystal needed another drink. 

She rested her arms against the bar table, downing the rest of her tall glass of champagne before calling the bartender over for a new drink. She ordered a vodka martini with a faded smile, both arms crossed against the dark oak as she patiently waited for her drink.

Crystal heard shifting in the bar stool next to her, gaze shifting towards the woman that recently occupied the seat. 

“How are you holding up, Harness?” Nicky greeted her with a grin, taking off the light coat she was previously dressed in and hung it across the backrest of her chair. She wore a black velvet halter top under the cream-colored blazer, bony clavicles and golden-tan skin exposed for her dark eyes to devour. Crystal knew what she was doing, Nicky wasn’t the one for subtleties, and it pained her to realize that she had fallen for it. Sometimes being gay sucked. 

Crystal bit her lip to dismiss the smirk she so badly wanted to wear, tearing her eyes away from the blonde. “Bored as hell. You?” 

“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one here who hates parties like this,” Nicky replied, ordering a glass of whiskey before turning to face the brunette. Her head tilted to the side, arm reaching to pull her blonde hair to the side of her face with her bare fingertips. 

“Like you could even call this a party.” Crystal scoffed, thanking the bartender with a grateful smile when she came by with both their drinks. She held the chilled glass with both of her hands, moving the lemon twist away with her finger to get a good sip. 

Nicky raised her stout glass up, and though Crystal had already taken a sip, she clinked glasses anyway, a faint smile failing to hide behind the unbothered facade she decided to put up. Pretty girls really just fuck you up, it wasn’t her fault at this point. 

“You know, after this drink. I’m taking an uber home,” Nicky spoke with a sultry slur, playing with the large ice cube that occupied most of her whiskey glass with her index finger. “If you want someone to keep you company the ride home, I’m here.”

Nicky grazed the arm Crystal had rested against the bar table, tracing the back of her hand with the finger that previously busied itself with her chilled whiskey glass. The touch was cold, electrifying, magnetic. It sent chills up the rest of her arm and down her back, trailing down her spine like thunderbolts had touched her skin. 

Crystal wanted to lean in, give into the blonde’s tempting gaze and her enticing way with touch. Nothing had piqued her interest more than the cunning yet quiet French woman, and she was so close to giving in. To find out the answers to her never-ending string of questions. 

But she wasn’t going to be that bitch who slept with her boss. That only happened in the movies and the porn she’d find herself watching, and she intended on keeping it that way. Crystal was more than the hot piece of ass, she knew she was, and hooking up with her new boss’ associate was not the way you achieved that reputation. 

She also promised Heidi that they’d take the uber home together. 

Crystal pulled her gaze away from Nicky, breaking off the stare-off they had found themselves in with a quiet chuckle. She shook her head, pulling her martini from the coaster it was set in, and taking a long dragging sip. 

“Sorry, I think I’m gonna stay if that’s alright.” Crystal sighed, setting the glass back down with a sigh. “I kinda promised Heidi that we’d go home together, so.”

The sudden change of Nicky’s disposition astounded her, her shift in mood turning over like a lightswitch. She plastered on a fake smile, nodding in response to Crystal's polite decline before drinking what remained of her whiskey glass in one gulp. God, that probably hurt. 

“Sucks for you.” Nicky groaned, grabbing her blazer from the backrest of her chair before stepping out of the barstool with pride. “I’ll see you next Monday.” 

Crystal watched as the blonde strutted away from where they previously sat, the confident sway in her hips enticing the glances of individuals she would pass by to get to the main door. The Latina couldn’t help but chuckle. It was amazing to see gorgeous people being humbled every once in a while, and the power she held rejecting the blonde’s rather tempting offer felt more invigorating than anything she had experienced. 

Crystal turned to face the bartender who stood just across from her, the familiar face sparking her interest. She normally wouldn’t have said anything, but she had two glasses of champagne and half a glass of vodka martini in her system. Liquid courage was real and she either liked it or hated it. In this case however, she loved it. 

“Aren’t you a bartender from the bar by Chapel Route?” The question slipped out of Crystal’s lips before she even realized it. 

The woman met her curious eyes with a raised brow, taken back by the sudden conversation. “You mean Dahlia’s? Yeah, why’d you ask?”

Crystal rested the palms of her hands on the dark wood of the bar table, mouth agape for a brief moment until she found the words she intended on asking. She flashed a grin, tilted her head, and spoke.

“I work for Professor Hall who represents Jamie McKenna in the Heller murder case. Her alibi was that she was at Dahlia’s the night of her disappearance, but we ever really looked into it because the prosecution hasn’t really focused on her at the moment. Is it true?”

The bartender leaned against the table with both elbows, eyebrows furrowed as she recalled the night Crystal kindly asked her to remember. “Jamie was there, but she left at around 10:30 that night I think? I’m not entirely sure, it was busy, but I know she left earlier than she normally did. She was a regular and would normally stay until like, 3 am or something. ” 

The autopsy placed Brianna’s time of death at around 2 to 6 am. 

“Thanks for the info.” Crystal smiled, pulling her phone out to type the new information into her notes app before she got the chance to forget about it. 

She’d bring up the rather interesting information on Monday. It was something they should definitely take a good look at and prepare for in case the boyfriend started pinning the murder on their client. 

But right now she had expensive cocktails to drink. Heidi was still busy talking up the same Physics professor she started flirting with the second they had arrived, and nothing sounded better than drinking her body weight in mixed drinks to pass the time. 

She’d worry about the alibi later.

  
  


**-**

_ “Oh my god, so you did that.” _

_ The silence that rang after Heidi’s response almost deafened her.  _

_ Jackie watched Crystal with nervous eyes, arms wrapped tight around Gigi who found solace in the Persian’s arms. Her thumb grazed the blonde’s now tousled hair, slender figure relaxing into the comforting embrace.  _

_ Crystal locked eyes with Jackie through the dark of the late-night, panic and fear now evident behind her glossy eyes as the woman on the other side of the call didn’t pick up her car keys the second the Latina had told her they were in trouble. The tips of her fingernails reached her lips, her need to bite them off and release some of her already heightened anxiety now more evident than ever. _

_ “You can argue that it’s self-defense, right?” Heidi questioned, the sound of shifting in the background doing nothing to calm her nerves. _

_ “Yes.” Crystal breathed out, rocking back and forth on her heels to keep her subconscious mind at bay.  _

_ “You promise?” _

_ “I promise.” _

_ Silence. Crystal heard the jingle of metal hitting metal.  _

_ “If we ever get caught you can plead not guilty to involuntary manslaughter?” _

_ “Jesus fuck- YES Heidi. Just please pick us up-” The brunette’s voice cracked before she was able to finish her sentence, unable to bite back her relentless nerves and the evident tremor in her voice. _

_ Silence. _

_ “Please.” _

_ Crystal heard the faint rumble of an engine from the other line. A rush of relief filled her heavy lungs. _

_ “I’ll be there in five.”  _

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to hit me up on tumblr @dawningofdrag :-D


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